Mother Arrested After Allegedly Fatally Shooting 17-Year-Old Daughter in Anderson Home, Police Say

UPDATE: A mother has been taken into custody after police say she fatally shot her 17-year-old daughter, mistaking her for an intruder inside their home.
On December 28, 2025 around 5 a.m., police say officers were called to the 2600 block of West 38th Street in Anderson, Indiana on reports of a person shot. Upon arrival, officers found a young female suffering from injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. Officers immediately rendered aid to the victim before emergency medical personnel arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where she later died.
The victim was identified as 17-year-old Tianna Harris.
On January 5, 2026, chief deputy prosecutor for the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office Andrew Hanna, confirmed that 38-year-old Tia Holmes has been detained at the Madison County Jail for her alleged role in the incident. She is charged with Neglect of a Dependent (Level 3 Felony), Reckless Homicide (Level 5 Felony), and Neglect of a Dependent (Level 6 Felony).
A detective reported in a probable cause affidavit that Harris’ mother, Holmes, was not alone inside the residence when the fatal gunshot rang out. Detectives believed that Holmes and two others were inside the home when the incident occurred.
A detective met and spoke with one of the occupants, who was identified as the victim’s sibling. Allegedly, they told detectives that Holmes “claims to see shadows or someone there.” The individual then stated that Holmes would typically look for her weapon while stating that she needed to “go investigate.”
The witness said that Holmes killed their sister “because she doesn’t know how to sit down and chill.”
Another witness told investigators that they recalled observing Holmes walking around the residence earlier that night while appearing to be looking for someone.
“I feel like he’s here, I feel like somebody is here,” the witness claimed Holmes said.
They responded by telling Holmes that nobody was inside the home and that she should calm down. The witness explained that they fell asleep and awoke later that night to a sound they believed was a gunshot.
The witness allegedly said she got up and found Harris suffering from a gunshot wound. At the same time, the witness said they overheard Holmes exclaim, “Oh my god, I didn’t know it was her; I thought he was trying to get in here.”
Holmes was interviewed by detectives to learn more about her account of the events that led up to her daughter’s fatal shooting.
She said that she had fallen asleep in the living room when she woke up after hearing a noise in the back of the residence. She said she then grabbed a handgun that she keeps under her mattress as she carried out a full “sweep” of the home.
At one point, Holmes said she believed she saw a shadow and proceeded to open fire. She then stated that she learned it was her daughter after she heard a “grunting” noise. She said she turned the bedroom light on and realized that she had reportedly shot her daughter.
Following her interview, she was placed under arrest and transported to the Madison County Jail, where she remains incarcerated.
Hanna said his office intended to request a 72-hour extension so they can access more records and reach a final decision on whether formal charges are filed in the case.